Busking in Melbourne

Darrell aka the Cookie Monster Bagpiper (2013)

Cookie Monster playing a bag pipe; It is a bizarre sight that attracts kids and adults both. I am witnessing this surreal experience again on a pleasant Melburnian night. The first time I took a picture of this blue busker was over three years ago. He was playing beautiful music on a hot summer day, next to Yarra.  I pull up that shot from my Facebook pictures and go show it to him. His name is Darrell. He is happy to see an old picture, asks me to take another one as he is wearing a new costume.  I oblige. Then he asks a passer-by to take our picture together.

Darrell, the Cookie Monster Bagpiper (2016)

 “I used to be a graphic designer.” He tells me. “Couldn’t find a job so started busking in 2010”. I am curious to learn about his experience. “It has been slow this year, but it isn’t bad. My son is also a busker. He wears an Elmo costume and plays a trumpet.”  Our conversation is interrupted by another person. He requests a ‘Happy birthday’ song for his daughter. I look out for a kid. As it turns out, the daughter is a gorgeous young adult, who is both happy and slightly flushed by her father’s playfulness.  I realize, it is business time and tell Darrell I’ll find him again when he has time. He says he will be happy to have a chat.

As an international student on a limited budget and limited time, I often spent my Saturday evenings besides Yarra, listening to buskers. Some of them were brilliant, others trying. My favourite ones included those who sang on guitar or played bagpipe.  Nothing like live music outside on a pleasant evening.  As much as I appreciate the art of busking, the numbers of buskers have grown in the recent years.  As a cynic, I am more prone to believe that this has got more to do with economy than the rise of musicians in Melbourne.  Talking to Darrell, the-cookie-monster-bagpiper, validated this assumption. 

However, there is more to busking than just money. Lawrence, a UK musician who mostly relies on busking tells me. “I love it”. Lawrence flew to Australia three years ago. He spends his time playing around the city and lives in St.Kilda.  He is easy to recognize, as the one playing violin with modern music in background. The fusion he creates is often magical. It was a sheer coincidence that I saw him the same night I saw Darrell. I recorded Lawrence earlier, when he was playing at Sydney’s Darling Harbour. He seems pleased about this information.  

Busking is a great way of demonstrating talent to the public. Buskers not only get to practice their music, they do it in front of public.  Anyone who has performed in the public can relate to the sheer pressure and strain. How do they do it? I am always in awe of such people.

A few months ago, ‘ONCE the musical’ had a public talent hunt for buskers to play in their show.  I find it surprising that people do hunt for talent on the streets these days. I thought we had moved on to developing careers through YouTube videos and Facebook clips. Is there a busking community that Melburnian buskers are a part of? I want to understand how it works.

One cannot be a busker by simply singing and playing on the streets. The government requires you to get a busking permit for a minimal fees of 20$ per annum. If the buskers intend to sell their CDs, or products, it will cost them a fee of 50$ per annum.  There are rules and regulations to abide by, or fines are implicated. Buskers can’t perform in certain areas. There is a limitation of 2 hours per performance in a particular location, after which the performer will have to move at least four blocks away.  These regulations are there to provide safety to residents and tourists. Recently, a three-month ban has been implemented on amplified busking on Swanston street.  The ban comes after complaints of loud noise by the residents, who welcome it. The buskers who use amplified sound system aren’t too happy with it. They feel that their music gets bogged down by the noise of trams passing by. 

In our fast paced life, it is easy to filter out buskers playing as white noise. However, if you do feel like one of these artists have touched your heart or your soul, please stop.  Give them a smile or a nod, if you can’t give them money.  They contribute to Melbourne’s wonderful vibe and the least we owe them is our gratitude. When I see Darrell, the-cookie-monster-bagpiper, I will tell him this. I will tell him that on a very hot day of December 2013,  his bagpipe made my PhD-ed mind calm and helped me relax and for that I am grateful to him.